Hirschberg,
also called Hirschbergen. This Dominical village has 35 houses and 303 people
more than one hour West of Salnau in the valley between the Dürrwald (Dry
Forest) and Roßberg. It was settled by woodworkers when the canal was created.
Here one finds a dukes residence for observation of the happenings on the canal
and a tunnel entrance which is 221 klft? long carved out of granite through the
Flößlberg.

The canal was created for the purpose of getting wood out
of the Bohemian Forest. As far back as the fourteenth century there had
been a plan to connect the Danube and the Moldau
(Vltava) rivers. In the 18th century an attempt was finally made. There
was a shortage of timber and the price was rising. Up to this time the
Bohemian Forest was not logged because of poor accessibility. The canal
made it possible to get the timber to the market at Vienna. The canal was to be 56 miles long connecting Zwettlbach stream and
the Muhle River. In 1789 construction began on the first part. It was 25
miles and it took four
years to build. The section became known as the "old canal ". Joseph Schwarzenberg hired engineer Jan Rosenauer
to draw up plans for the canal and oversee construction. The canal was only about 2 feet
wide and 4 1/2' deep.

The logs were cut into lengths
about 3' long and allowed to dry during the winter. In spring when there
was sufficient water the logs were sent thru the canal. About
200 people looked after the successful running of the canal, they removed
logjams from the canal and other obstacles.The increase in tree felling after the opening of the
navigational canal brought to the region of upper umava more
possibilities of work. For this reason forestry workers came here, mainly
wood workers, who with their families set up new settlements with the
approval of the nobility. During this time the villages of Hutský Dvùr,
Nová Pec, Jelení Vrchy, Stoec, Nové Údolí and many more were
established.

During the second half of the 19th century,
firewood was being replaced by coal and the canal become less important.
The demand also changed from small logs to full length trees. The canal
was remodeled to allow for the passage of longer logs and new side chutes
from the main canal were created to move the logs to the Moldau River at
Zelnava. At elnava the logs were tied up into rafts, and
floated down the Moldau River to Prague.

The railway
arrived in 1892 and replaced the canal as the means of transport. The last
logs were floated thru the canal in 1916 and only a small section, the
Zelnava chute, was used until 1962.

Translation
of chapter on Hirschbergen from the book Nueofen Chronik. By Fred
Schroeder.

The
Village of Hirschbergen.
(Ort,Ortschaft, Dorf,  place= small country Village.)

When
also Hirschbergen originated ,thanks to the builder of the Schwemmkanal
(Canal to float wood and trees.)History reached much further back.Early as
1728 Herrschaften,(Earls, Lords)Thought about to establish a settlement
from 15-20 Houses .A report from 8.6.1728,(day is written first in Europe)
stated, that between the great hills (mountains) and forests near Plöckenstein
a part of 15-20 houses could be built.

It could on this place
and in this described JockesForest (later a name was used as Jockes,-JacklesForest)

Could be cleared as a
settlement for the before described amount of houses .Because of this
forest region local name Hirschberger Valley. Also it stated that nearby
arechairs of stone. (today
Drei sessellberg, drei=3,Sessel= chair, Berg=hill.)where Passauer (city of
Passau and Region) and upper Austrian borders with Bohémia come together,
meet by 4 hrs (to walk there) but from the Plöckenstein only 2 hrs.
between,

But the big Forests
,woods which are not used. To these new
houses afterthe church inSalnau 2 hr. foot march, walk. This report also stated that in this
area are big strongHirsche (similar as a Ren, Ellen, Elk with pointy
antlers),here also lays the point of the start of the name given to the Village of Hirschbergen.

But: Although Fürst (Earl)Adam
Franz tu Schwarzenberg in the stated report from 6.8.1728 (a
decision-resolution from 16.6.1728 pre-supposition- support was) a
settlement was approved, and although a great amount of willing settlers
especially from the nearby Villages filled applications for the Jager Wald.

(HunterForest.)But to a settlement it did notcome. Probably because of a veto from the forest office.

Seeing the hunt of the
Earls (Lords) Prinzen) in jeopardy for the Hirsche (wildlife). Also I
1755the forest office took a rejecting standpoint as many
peoplefrom(especially Parkfrie and Neuofen filled applications for
approval for a few lots to built houses in the described Hunter forest.

The settlement started
only after Rosenauer (Architect of the Schwemmkanal- float wood and logs
up to 55)had built his canal to furthest point, corner of the lovely valley of Hirschbergen. The start up to float wood, the need to
settle woodcutters. It seems to be in 1793, 6 wood houses were
built,(built around the described ,,Engineer of the Canal Hütte,(
sort of wood, log cottage) in Hirschbergen during the building of the
Canal)6 wood cutters were settled. The slightly built accommodations were
not demolishedwere upgraded
before the winter time. You could not talk about it ,it was only temporary
housing.

The first settlers
contracts are only established, written down from 14.5.1796.The names
wereJohann Graf, Bartl Binder, Michl Schlorhaufer Jun. And Anton
Schinko.Lot, and ground and use, wood and money to built was given before.
In 1799 an additional settlement of 15 houses were added. But they were
opposite from the houses from 1793 which were on the Canal side of the
valley. Their place (new homes) were allocated- given to them in the
Jockes forest on the Hirsch Creek.

1869 Hirschbergen had
its own first school, before that the Hirschberger children had to attend
school in Neuofen.1906 counted the Village 27 houses with 219 Citizens.
1948 it had 38 houses with 260 Citizens. From the former woodcuttersVillage became a much sought Vacation Place for
the City People. Also much responsible was the nearby tunnel of the
Schwemmkanal.An object of interest for many visitors

who were enticed,
charmed ( by this early architectural masterpiece).

A good Craftsman was
Lorenz Saumer from Waldkirchen ,( nearby Bavaria) which built much of the
first houses in Hirschbergen .For him remember a few Marterls ( little
statues of stone or stucco with his name and date inscribed, one is still
standing when you enterHirschbergen
at the first house on the right side.)

At the See-Bach-
Valley>  lake creek valley <(the Seebach starts at the Plöckensteiner
See (lake) and flows trough the Hirschberger Valley andflows into the Moldau.)

Poet Johannes Urzidil
spent as its first choice his vacations in Hirschbergen, his narrations,
stories are still alive and live further.